Foothills of Zane Lagoon

By Rowlen Delaware Vanderstone III

Seven teen Cousins, the Stiles-Tracy brothers, Tyson, James, Jason, the Zane Twin sisters, Sammy and Tammy and the Cupp brothers Dev and Mel meet for the first time at Zane Lagoon.  Deceived by Great Aunt Rosie Zane on the pretense of celebrating her 75th birthday, to be there visiting for the summer only, when in reality they are there at Zane Manor for a whole year.  So that she can decide who gets the Zane fortune when she dies.  Or is this her only reason to have her 5 grandnephews, and her Twin third cousins there.  The Zane legacy is a family tree going back to 1900 where there is a Cupp married to Benjimen Zane the first Lumber Baron of Zane Lagoon.  His son marries a Stiles, and his grandson marries a Smith.  A Smith future descendant marries a Cupp future descendant, and their son marries a niece of Rosie Zane.  Another niece of Rosie Zane marries a future descendant of a Stiles.  That future is here, 2025 and the seven cousins sort out the family tree and discover a mystery.  It is not the only thing they sort out.  The Stiles-Tracy brothers 17, 16, 15 have issues.  Their mother widowed twice, and the younger brother comes out Gay.  The Twin sisters 15, their father married twice are identical twins but have different traits and personalities, that conflicts as twins.  Our Cupp brothers 15 and 14 appear to be your average siblings but are they?  In the Foothills of Zane Lagoon, they not only discover personal growth to overcome their issues.  They, discover a 105-year-old mystery together that saves 3 billion lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rowlen Delaware Vanderstone III
• Release date: Feb 24, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224923311

Rowlen Delaware Vanderstone III

Hello Readers: I am Rowlen Deleware Vanderstone III, my penname.  My real name is Robert D. Vergeson and I have since my childhood have always dreamed of writing.  I just had to get past my learning disabities and a physical handicapp since I was born premature 1951.  As early as I can remember my daydreams and night dreams was about adventures stories, being he hero who rescued the fair maiden.  It wasn't until after repeating 3 elementary grades over that at age 15 did I finally physically grasp my reading skills and since I became an avid reader of Sci-fi and fatansy, Teen adventure stories, and rite of passage stories of teen life in many circumstances in life.  And yes, I rooted for the hero who bested the bullies in his life.  I had my fair share of them in my life given my own circumstances.  I wrote my first story in my senior year in high school, then shelved it as worthless.  It wasn't until decades later that I had my poetry published in those anthologies.  Even won a few recognitions.  My my first real Sci-fi manuscipt was rejected by a publisher summarily and I gave up writing. To be honest I was lousy when it came to english grammer, but had a great imagination. curing Covid, at 70 years of age, I took out my dustiy manuscripts and went the Ebook route with Smashwords, and 46 published Ebooks later, I am still grinding away. I was certainly a late bloomer, like at age 47 I got a college degree, earned a 3.5 GPA, made the National Deans List, and was inducted into the PHI Thetta Kappa honor society.  My High school counscelor once told me that I was't college material.  Was told digging ditches was the best job for me.  I believed her, and dug ditches, and spend 27 years still believing her.  Bullies come in all kind of shapes and ages.  My first ebook is a bio about my bullies called "Walters and the Bullies" On Smashwords.com  I am still lousy at grammer and spelling and very thankful for spell and grammer check. At 72, I look forward to a few more books out of me.  I will pat myself on the back and say my Sci Fi fantasy are good reads,.  My rite of passages series even better, my chapbook, my mysteries, and my non-fiction revealing. 

Book preview

Foothills of

Zane Lagoon

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By Rowlen Delaware Vanderstone III

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Copyright

02/21/2024

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License Note

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Introduction

Seven teen Cousins, the Stiles-Tracy brothers, Tyson, James, Jason, the Zane Twin sisters, Sammy and Tammy and the Cupp brothers Dev and Mel meet for the first time at Zane Lagoon.  Deceived by Great Aunt Rosie Zane on the pretense of celebrating her 75th birthday, to be there visiting for the summer only, when in reality they are there at Zane Manor for a whole year.  So that she can decide who gets the Zane fortune when she dies.  Or is this her only reason to have her 5 grandnephews, and her Twin third cousins there.  The Zane legacy is a family tree going back to 1900 where there is a Cupp married to Benjimen Zane the first Lumber Baron of Zane Lagoon.  His son marries a Stiles, and his grandson marries a Smith.  A Smith future descendant marries a Cupp future descendant, and their son marries a niece of Rosie Zane.  Another niece of Rosie Zane marries a future descendant of a Stiles.  That future is here, 2025 and the seven cousins sort out the family tree and discover a mystery.  It is not the only thing they sort out.  The Stiles-Tracy brothers 17, 16, 15 have issues.  Their mother widowed twice, and the younger brother comes out Gay.  The Twin sisters 15, their father married twice are identical twins but have different traits and personalities, that conflicts as twins.  Our Cupp brothers 15 and 14 appear to be your average siblings but are they?  In the Foothills of Zane Lagoon, they not only discover personal growth to overcome their issues.  They, discover a 105-year-old mystery together that’s saves 3 billion lives.

Chapter 1

Zane Lagoon

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Mel are you sure our Grandparents where to meet us here at the Dock?  Devlin asked his younger brother.

Yes, I am sure Dev. You know the Doc’s, never on time, always something coming up at the last moment like grandma having a last-minute patient at the clinic, or grandpa rescuing a wounded woodland creature for the animal sanctuary.  The bus was early arriving here after all.  It is more than a 2-miles from Zaneville on the other side of the Zane Lagoon.  The Ferry is ancient the way Ma tells it.  Slower then a Sloth riding a snail in a bucket of cold Molasses.  Melvin told his brother.

Really, Mel that is a mouthful of redundancy a Sloth riding a snail in a bucket of cold Molasses.  Why not just say Ma said it was slow and stop wasting words.  Dev admonished his brother.

Ma didn’t say the ferry was slow, she actually said it was like a Sloth riding a snail in a bucket of cold Molasses.  I am just repeating what she said, and not to expect the ferry to be some jet powered Hydrofoil affair speeding over the water.  Mel reiterated.

Alright so the ferry is slow, can’t take that long for it to go 2 miles across water no matter how old it is.  Dev said.

Dev it is not a car on a freeway going 60 miles per hour and going two miles in two minutes at full speed on a straight road.  A watercraft has lots of friction on the water, its haul plowing through water.  It’s a small car ferry flat bottom and that makes it slower at its top speed cutting through waves.  I am sure if they left on time then allowed for the time to cross the lagoon and meet us here on time.  Mel explained.

Well, I don’t see any Ferry in the lagoon if it was on time we should be able to see it by now going as slow as a Sloth on a Snail in cold Molasses.  Dev stated.

Now who is being rhetorical.  Mel chided his brother.

I am not Mel.  Just repeating what you and mother said.  Don’t get me started on what Dad said about that Ferry either.  Dev said then regretted it.

Alright, Dev, spill it, what did Dad say about the Ferry, so help me if he told you it was a leaky old wash tub of a boat, so help me, I am going to strangle him.  I didn’t want to come here as it was.  I could have stayed home for the summer and caught up on the latest science fiction novels.

Simmer down Mel, Dad said nothing about it sinking.  Just that it was named the Titanic III in a long line of ferry’s on the lagoon for the last 100 years.  Dev informed his brother.

‘That is just great, that mean the first one sank in 1912 on its maiden voyage from England when it hit an iceberg.  If this one is number 3 that means number two either sank or decommissioned, and number 3 could be cursed or ready for the scrap heap if it is ancient as Ma described.  Has the bus left yet?  Dev our tickets are good for a round trip back home."  Mel insisted.

We are not going back home Mel.  So, forget it.  I am sure the ferry is seaworthy, or our grandparents would not have asked us to meet them at the dock.  Furthermore...  Dev was interrupted by an air horn honking coming through the tree’s where a dusty dirt road could be seen to his right.  Out of the tree’s pulled by a team of two horses was an old-fashioned horse drawn trolley car that had to be some 100 years old.  Above the drivers head was a sign that said, ‘Zane Land Ferry Titanic III’.  Grandpa Tom Cupp Sr, was the driver holding the reigns to the team of horses.  Grandpa Tom lead the horses pulling the trolley up to the two Cupp teens.

My, you boys have certainly grown, how long as it been since we last saw you two.  Must have been 2 years since your grandmother and I moved to Zaneville.  You boys where 13 and 12 at the time.  Now close those mouths boy’s or the flies will find a place to lay their eggs.  Grandpa Tom laughed.

Mel was the first to speak.  Grandpa Tom, I thought you were coming to pick us up in a water ferry, not a Trolly car drawn by horses.

Now grandson whatever gave you that notion it was a water ferry.  I told you mother it would be the Titanic 3.  She road in this same Trolly since she was born in Zane Manor.  Now the Titanic 2 was a water ferry until she was decommissioned 50 years ago.  Then her Aunt Rosie bought this old trolly at an auction in San Francisco some 30 years ago and restored it to its glory.  It been the land ferry ever since.  Now get your gear on board we got to make a stop on the way back to pick up your Grandmother.  She is delivering a baby as we speak.  Mind the critter in the back seat.  One of my patient’s, sedated with a possible broken leg.  Found on the side of the road about 15 minutes back.  I will x-ray the leg when I get back to my clinic.  Now I suggest you don’t make any sudden loud noises, or you will find quills flying everywhere.  That Porcupine might be sedated, it still can hear.  Grandpa Tom stated.

Grandpa Tom, Porcupines do not eject their spines or commonly known as Quills.  You have to either touch them or they touch you in defense for the barbs to stab you and get stuck in your leg, foot or hand.  Once they are stuck they easily pull out of the Porcupine but not so easily out of your hand or leg as the barb catches in your skin.  Requires being cut out of you skin to remove them.  Dev stated.

Well, I guess they do teach you something in that fancy school your parents send you too. Grandpa Tom said as he shooed the horses to move and turned the Trolly around back on the road heading back to where he came from to pick up Grandma Mary.  Fifteen minutes later, they came to large log cabin where Three boys ages 8 to 12 where playing outside in a side yard.  Grandma Mary was sitting on the long porch rocking in a porch swing talking to a small girl around the age of 6, maybe 7, it was hard to tell.

Sally Mae, my ride is here, now you follow you mothers instructions and mine, and make sure that new sister of yours is taken care of.  She is a healthy baby so there shouldn’t be any trouble for the both of you.  Now remember the baby is too small and delicate for you or your brothers to pick up.  Not until at least 6 months at best.  You help your mother by getting things for her, she needs to rest in bed for at least 3 day better if it would be 5 days.  Your mother is not as young as she was when you came along.  In six weeks, you mother and father agreed, 5 children are enough, so I will be taking her into the city hospital to have that taken care of with a minor outpatient surgery so she can’t have any more babies.

Does that mean mama and daddy can make love and not have to worry about making a baby.  Sally Mae stated.

I do declare, parents these days are so progressive, when I was your age I believed in storks bringing babies into the house.  I never did catch that bird sneaking in when my younger brother was born, nor the sister after him.  You just mind your manner’s until you married Sally Mae, well until you know for sure your ready to be a mother, and the father is sticking around.  Now I must get going before Grandpa Tom decides to blow that air horn.  I have two grandson visiting for the summer I have not seen them in 2 years since we moved here and set up shop.  Grandma Mary stepped off the porch and hollered at Grandpa Tom.  Old man hold you horses I am coming.  Mister and Missy have more patience then you do.  Grandma Mary stepped up into the Trolly.  Now where are those grandson’s of mine.  Grandma Mary looked and didn’t see the boys.  You did pick them up Old man, or did some critter get your attention and you forgot all about them.

"Dev and Mel on cue rose up behind the middle row of benches backsides and shouted.

He did not forget us Grandma Mary, though he did pick up a critter on the way to us.  It has a hurt leg, maybe even broken.  Both teens said in unison.

Doesn’t surprise me, one bit.  I suppose it was a rattler he ran over with the Trolly.  I swear that man needs glasses.  Grandma chided her husband.

Dear snakes don’t have legs anymore, not since millions of years ago, and I didn’t run it over.  I ran over a Porcupine, and I was wearing my glasses, it’s you who needs glasses, if you can’t see I am wearing glasses since we were first dating.  Blind as a bat she is.  Grandpa Tom, lovingly teased his wife since he first saw her on the University Campus 45 years ago.

Old man I know you have a lot of free time on your hands as a semi-retire veterinarian.  But do you have to go shopping for new patients?  Now boys he didn’t try and convince you Porcupines can shoot their Quills at you like arrows hitting a target?  Grandma Mary asked.

He tried Grandma Mary, but Dev sent him straight on that fact.  Quoted word for word from the Animal Kingdom book he got for his 12th birthday from Grandpa Tom. Mel said.

Good for you Dev. Your Grandpa needs someone around here who is smarter then he is.  Shush old man, the boy’s need encouragement to speak up and say what knows and not just nod his head as if he knows what you are talking about.  You might have the local’s here believing you are some wildlife activist who traveled around the world saving endangered species with all your tales around the campfire.  Don’t go filling these boy’s head with all that nonsense.  It is my turn to tell them how I saved a whole native village from scurvy.  Then there was that time I delivered the village chief baby, the first to survive after his wife had two still births.  He was so grateful he didn’t even care it was a girl and not a boy.  Grandma Mary said.

Dear plenty of time for fairy tales later.  I am sure these boys are tired from that long journey by bus across several states, not counting the layovers and transfers.  Boys’s we don’t have a big place, but it has one large spare bedroom we have set up for you two.  I know you used to having you own rooms, and the comforts and privacy of those rooms.  Its large enough to have a small seating area, twins beds and a private bath.  Plenty of dresser space and wardrobes and room to spare.  If you can’t get along together, one of you will have to bunk outback in a tent, or I have a small room in the sanctuary clinic.

Small my foot old man, more like a privy on an airplane.  They will get along or they can have two tents outback in the sanctuary yard with the animals.  I am sure they won’t mind cuddling up with a few furry critters.  Grandma Mary stated.

Now dear, that would mean I wasted money on that new 65-inch TV, and that new gaming system.  All the teens in town would be disappointed if our grandsons can’t get to use it.  Grandpa Tom said.

Then they will just have to get along won’t they.  The Teens your Grandpa is talking about are ages 15 to 17.  The Twins girls are 15, and the Stile boys are 15, 16, and 17 or there abouts.  They are summer guest just like you.  You will get to meet them later tonight at the Zane Manor where the Twins are staying.  There is a little gathering to celebrate the Lady of the Manor’s 75 birthday.  She owns everything around here, some 10 square miles including the lagoon, trees and Zaneville, all the way to the coast.  Zaneville was once a logging camp some 100 years ago, and the Lagoon was just a lake back then with a manmade channel to the ocean to float logs for shipment.  Most the tree’s here are new sustainable growth in the west of the lagoon.  Rosie Zane leases cutting out on the West side of the lagoon, which is now shipped by truck out.  Every tree cut down is replaced by a new tree planted.  There is a limit of trees cut every year for the last 40 years since conservation was started by Rosie Zane.  Over the decades due to water surge and water erosion over a hundred years that manmade channel has expanded to 3 miles wide through the sand dunes on each side of that man made channel.  It is now Zane Lagoon not Zane Lake.  A sea wall channel on either side stabilizes that erosion.  The channel isn’t deep enough for ocean liners, but the center of the lagoon is very deep. Some say it is cauldron of a very old extinct volcano. Small yachts under 60 feet with a shallow draft are allowed or smaller to get through the channel.  The logging operations is west to north of the lagoon, and the summer campgrounds at the west pacific coastline side of the lagoon.  Along the West side of lagoon, are private rental short- and long-term lodges with docks on the lagoon.  Everything east of the lagoon are private leased long team residents, Zane Enterprises staff, or Retailers in Zaneville, who’s like Salley Mae’s father is the forestry warden here, for both the west commercial forest and the east forest which is old growth 50-100 + year old tree’s.  Zane port is where the Port master lives with his family and support staff.  Grandma Mary explains the history of Zaneville and Zane Lagoon.

Well, it looks like we are here boys.  Grandpa Tom explained.

Wait a minute who was driving the horses, or rather leading them if you where sitting here with Grandma Mary, Grandpa Tom?  Mel asked.

Mister and Missy where Mel.  They have been doing it for the last 8 years, know the whole route around the lagoon.  Mister is ready for retirement and Missy is only 3 years old and now knows the route and commands.  When Mister retires, in two years a new stallion or mare will pair off with Missy.  Missy sister just fouled 8 months ago and by then be ready to team up with her.  The younger horses are trained on smaller rigs like Buggy’s and small work wagons.  Eventually they move up to the Trolly.  The Trolly serves the campground and private leased lodges on the west side and the East side.  The buggy’s are rented affairs with drivers for pleasure rides in the moonlight.  Aunt Rosie has a private buggy and horse she uses.  It has taken 50 years to build this place up as a destination place for all income levels from low to moderately wealthy, that is under 1 million income.  Aunt Rosie has some long-term leases in that high income level, and the campground trailer park has moderate income and the tent park low to moderate income.  The tree farm is only a small fraction of the income that comes in where the Zane fortune has a 100 years of investment earnings, and in the last 50 years the summer camping, and lodge rentals pays for itself most of the time.  The investment capital keeps the infrastructure updated like recent years windmill farms, Cell/Wi-Fi tower land leases bring money in.  The Cell provider covers more than 20 square miles providing services to 2,000 isolated homes.  Our 3 towers are linked to 7 others in that 20 square miles of the coast east and west.  Enough about the Zane family business, lets get you two settle into your room.  I have a Porcupine to x-ray before that sedative wares off.

Grandpa how did you inject a sedative without getting stuck with Quills.  Dev asked.

Very carefully Dev.  Grandpa Tom said.

What you grandfather is telling you he has dart guns, Rifle for long range shots for larger animals and a handgun for short range shots, smaller animals, and a blowgun a native gave him.  He keeps the blow gun in the Trolly for an occasion like this.  A selection of darts are color coded for strength and type of sedative.  I am sure he just walked up to the critter, nudged it with his boot to expose the tender belly and blew a dart into it.  The poor thing didn’t have a chance to run.  Grandma Mary said.

Don’t let your grandmother fool you, I have seen her jap a crying child with lighting speed before then kid could run.  She once took a man down by throwing the syringe like a dart at a dart board.  Got the poor fellow in the rump and when he reached around to swat his rump he injected the fast-acting sedative.  Your grandmother was standing at least 15 feet away.  I wouldn’t play darts with her boys, a bull’s eye every time.

Old man you don’t run fast enough, and with a rump that large hard to miss it.

Dear, I would have gotten away if I hadn’t swatted my rump.

Well, next year I will sneak up on you in your sleep to give you your annual flu shot.

I never sleep when there is a lioness on the prowl.

Dev, now I remember why I like our only grandparents.  They are so full of horse manure with their wild stories and teasing.  I would laugh if I didn’t know they were serious about their stories and real-life adventures.  Mel said to his brother has they left the Trolly to into the lodge next to Doctor Mary’s medical clinic and Doctor Tom’s veterinarian clinic and sanctuary, to find their bedroom in the lodge.

Mel, real or not, they are the only grandparents we have. Ma lost her mother giving birth to her and her father in his grief turned to the bottle and died a few years later.  Great Aunt Rosie Zane raised Mom and her two older sisters Linda, and Susan.  It is going to be strange to visit the Zane Manor and meet our Great Aunt Rosie.  She would be equivalent to being a grandparent to us being the last of her generation.  I am still trying to figure out the Zane family tree with all its many branches.   There is Ben Zane a cousin to Mom and her sisters, whose second wife was a Stiles, her late brother married to Mom’s sisters Linda. Stiles, another branch of the Zane family tree with an ancestor married to a Zane.  Then Grandma Mary’s, Smith family tree has an ancestor married to a Zane, so does Grandpa Cupp have an ancestor married to another Zane male. That is 4 Zanes intertwined into the Cupp, Stiles, and Smith family tree linked to 3 Zane sisters and a Zane male cousin today.  Does that make us first cousin to the Zane twins, and then the Stile boys, or cousins once removed?  Dev asked.

I would think once removed all around yet of the same generation all having a link to a Zane through 4 family trees all leading to our Great Aunt Rosie and cousins we never met.  Mel said.

Well, you know what they say as the world population grows the world gets smaller and eventually we will all be cousins to each other.  Dev revealed.

What a dreadful thought, Dev, that would mean by most laws we could never marry our cousin.  With no marriages, no children, no more population growth.

Maybe, no marriages by law, I don’t think it will stop the population from growing Mel.  There will always be the ‘Kissing Cousin Factor’ somewhere around.

Are we overpopulated yet Dev.

Nope, got at least a 150 more years or more to go Mel.

Oh, Fiddlesticks, I will be too dead by then to have any pucker left to kiss with.

***

Jason, as usual you are late getting changed for the Party at the Zane Manor.  Mother will not be please you are still undecided what to wear.  She said casual, dress slacks and a short sleeve shirt, and your loafers.  Not those cut off shorts and that dirty t-shirt you put on this morning Bro.  And those sandals will not pass muster with mother either. Tyson told his younger brother.

Ty, my dress slacks are a more suited for high water.  I must have grown two inches since moving here 4 months ago.  Either that or this hot humidity here shrunk them.  Jason told his brother.

Don’t give me that bull Bro, you just don’t want to go, admit it.  Aunt Rosie is family, she raised our mother right here in Zaneville.  You really got to get over being shy meeting new people, and girls, there our cousin’s I am sure they are not going to jump you like some sex crazed kissing cousins.  And I know for a fact mother bought you a new pair of dress slacks, last week when she was in the city, waist 32, string bean length 38 up from 36.  Puts you officially in the Tall category, even for your age of 15 and half.  You make a great basketball player if you weren’t so clumsy, Bro.

That’s another thing Great Aunt Rosie has all those sculptures she created.  I am afraid I might knock one over just by looking out it Ty.  Jason moaned.

Then don’t look at them close your eyes when you walk by them.  James said as he came into the Jason’s bedroom.

James, don’t encourage him, even with one eye closed he will topple them all like Dominos.  Ty laughed.

That settles it I am not going.  Jason said as he fell on his bed.

Yes, you are if James and I have to strip you down, throw you in the shower and dress you afterwards.  Ty threatened.

I already took a shower.  Jason said..

Good, we won’t have to see you skinny butt.  James said.

Yes, you will, I am not wearing any boxer’s, these are my swim shorts. Jason said.

Mother will murder you if she found out you went commando.  Just one look at our girl cousin’s and your junk will be hanging out in those swim shorts.  Never mind it will knock over the nearest sculpture. James said with a smirk on his face.

James, you will find a jock strap in the top drawer in my dresser.  You get it while I strip this Giraffe down.  Ty said.

Alright give me some dignity here, I’ll dress myself Ty, and wear the Jock strap so my junk does not knock over any of Great Aunt Rosies Sculpture’s.  Let alone get excited like you two do just at the mention of girls.  Not that you two have anything to brag about.  Jason hit the target with that arrow.

‘Did you get the load of that crap about our junk James.  He thinks he is King Kong in that department, and we are just baby chimps.  Time we show him who is in charge here."  Ty flexes his muscles.

Neither of you two are, I am and why isn’t Jason dressed yet.  The boys mother demanded as she walked in the bedroom.

I was just going to dress him mother like I did when he was 3 years old after I threw him in the tub to bath him.  Ty said.  

He is a bit too old and too big even for you Ty.  Jason, you have 30 minutes no more than that to dress properly and where underwear, you are not going commando as usual.  Clocks a ticking, now you two, get out and let Jason have some privacy.  Mrs. Linda Stiles-Tracy turned around and added as she left the room.  And no more talk about whose junk is bigger or smaller.

How in the H, E, double LL does she do that, I swear she was outside in the front yard a moment ago.  James